Fair play to The Recommender for managing to nab both Muchuu and The Good Natured for his monthly Recommender party. I'd be half-tempted to make the trip to Brighton to check it out. Half-tempted...
While Russell Lissack's been putting the final touches to Pin Me Down's debut album, his Bloc Party bandmate Kele Okereke has been busying himself with his own side-project.
Kele is due to release his solo album 'The Boxer' in June and Shane has kindly pointed me in the direction of the first cut from the record, 'Tenderoni'.
A slow-burning but eventually sprightly dance-pop gem with a deliciously intricate structure, the track takes the elements of electropop that have gradually infiltrated Bloc Party's to new extremes:
I'm sold.
P.S. Is it just me, or does the track remind anybody else of this?
It seems like ages ago that The Guardian's excellent 'New Band of the Day' feature brought Ms. Sky Ferreira into my world but, finally, it looks like her quest for global domination is afoot.
She's rumoured to have inked the most lucrative UK record deal of 2009 and has worked with a pick'n'mix of the world's best producers, so there's surely an element of pressure on the Californian 'it girl' to deliver. Her first stab at success comes in the guise of new single, '17'.
The song's lyrics, about a seventeen-year-old deviant, drinking in clubs and generally up to mischief, are presumably intended to shock but Lyndsay makes the point that this doesn't really have the same impact here as it does in Ferreira's homeland because of the drinking age.
There are a couple of other tracks in Sky's arsenal I prefer to '17' but I still think it serves as a pretty good introduction. I'm also glad those behind the scenes have managed to conserve some of her 'hipster' sensibilities, rather than trying to market her as some slinky pop princess. See for yourself:
Here's a few of Sky's other tracks worth checking out:
I've recently become a little besotted with the work of Dublin-based duo Collidoscope. A DJ/VJ duo sharing a sardonic sense of humour, Collidoscope only been working together for the past few months but have already been making waves in the city's pub/club scene.
Their live shows are well worth catching if you get a chance but, in the meantime, you'll have to make do with these glorious mash-ups, which I have a sneaking suspicion will soon be a source of mild blogospheric hysteria:
M.I.A. vs New Order vs Dizzee Rascal - Hooky Done Gun (Collidoscope Mashup) (free download)
Jason Mraz vs Shaggy vs Jay-Z - It Wasn't Your State Of Mind (Collidoscope Mashup) (free download)
Babar vs Mr. Oizo - Babar Beats (Collidoscope Mashup) (free download)
Beastie Boys vs Alison Krauss - O Brother, Thou Art Intergalactic (Collidoscope Mashup) (free download)
I'm not altogether fussed on the song itself, but I really love the new video for The Temper Trap's 'Love Lost' for reminding me of some of the ordeals I endured on the junior cross-country circuit:
My love for the band's signature tune 'Sweet Disposition' has been tainted considerably by the sheer level of over-exposure (and lack of imagination of TV and radio execs). However, this latest blissed-out RAC mix of the track has helped re-ignite my passion somewhat.
Things are looking decidedly sunny these days for gloom-merchants The xx, with their eponymous debut making an impression on the Billboard charts in recent weeks.
The album was the soundtrack to a hefty portion of my past year and I'm really glad they've decided to release one of my favourite tracks, 'Islands', as their new single.
Their music isn't exactly the kind you bust a move to bu, low and behold, the video features a pretty tight. I really love the theatrics of it, playing on the song's brooding sexual tension.
Attempts by remix artists to inspire people to dance to The xx's music as emphatically in the dancers have pretty been hit or miss. Best of the bunch is probably Death To The Throne's re-swizz of Shelter.
I'm sure this sort of thing has been done oodles of times before but Ben Heine's 'Pencil Vs Camera!' set caught my eye because it's just so well executed.
One of the victims of Volcanosaurus Rex last week was the live music circuit, with many touring bands being forced to cancel dates due to flight cancellations and the likes.
After finding herself in Iceland at the same time good old Eyjafjallajokull started blowing chunks, the chances of Amanda Palmer making it to Dublin for her scheduled Evelyn Evelyn gig began looking slim.
To make matters worse, the rest of the Evelyn Evelyn team and the equipment for the show were stranded in New York. The easiest thing to do would have been to cancel the gig, possibly re-schedule it for later in the tour, but Amanda wasn't prepared to throw in the towel that easily.
After making her way to Glasgow, she took the ferry across to Dublin and, using all her savvy (and the counsel of her Twitter 'followers'), pieced together a replacement show.
Evelyn Evelyn, if you're unfamiliar, are three-legged conjoined twins Evelyn and Evelyn Neville, 'discovered' by Palmer and musician Jason Webley over Myspace in 2007. After being coerced into the studio, Evelyn Evelyn recorded an album and, under the auspices of Palmer and Webley, are now hitting the road.
For the tour was that Palmer and Webley would fill in the support slots for Evelyn Evelyn but, in light of the circumstances, Palmer had to draft in a last-minute replacement. Brighton band Bitter Ruin jumped at the offer of supporting Amanda in Glasgow.
Having being so impressed by their performance, she persuaded them to come to Dublin. They jumped at the chance, despite the fact that they had to chug buckets after the gig, purely so they could afford to get home.
It was a good call by Amanda because Bitter Ruin were fantastic. So fantastic, in fact, that they warrant a post all of their own.
Bitter Ruin - Chewing Gum (Dublin)
Shortly after Shane and I nabbed the last two Bitter Ruin EPs, Amanda took to the stage and shed some light on how the gig was going to go. Since her fellow 'conjoined twin' Jason Webley was stranded on the other side of the Atlantic, she decided to bring him to Dublin via the power of the internet and, after calling him on Skype, was able to project a huge image of his head on to a screen.
After hauling a motley crew of audience members up from the audience (as unofficial ambassador for freaks and geeks the world over, Palmer tends to attract an especially devoted fanbase) and bringing Bitter Ruin back on stage, Amanda began to describe what the Evelyn Evelyn show would be like if the various components had made it to Dublin.
With those on stage being used as substitute characters and performing puppet shows, Amanda and Jason worked their way through the Evelyn Evelyn set. Adding to the ridiculousness was the fact that the gig was being broadcast on the internet by a camera Amanda had borrowed from a Dublin fan.
Granted, at times, the performance bordered on shambolic as the performers grappled with the unorthodox set-up but, if anything, this only served to make the whole thing more enjoyable and it was obvious that Amanda and Jason had invested a lot of effort into resuscitating the show. After Amanda performed a clutch of her own songs, including 'Oasis', 'Astronaut', 'Runs In The Family' and 'Girl Anachronism', she brought Georgia from Bitter Ruin back on stage for a duet on 'Delilah'.
The fact that the gig happened at all was both a testament to the power of the internet and a big 'up yours' to the volcano's attempts to prevent it happening. As such, it was sort of fitting that, as her encore, Amanda premiered a song she had written over the course of the previous 24 hours over the web with husband-to-be Neil Gaiman, called 'Fuck The Ash Cloud'.
Based on Jason and Amanda's description, The Evelyn Evelyn show sounds wonderfully theatrical and I was a bit miffed not to see it as it was intended but, in a way, the show we saw in its place was probably far more memorable.
A prime example of somebody taking volcanic particles and making 'volcanade', this was a truly singular experience and has only served to deepen my appreciation for Ms. Palmer as an artist and, lame as it sounds, as a person.
After months of repeatedly surfacing on Youtube and promptly disappearing, the fabled Clock Opera remix of Marina and the Diamonds' 'I Am Not A Robot' has finally been given a legitimate airing over on Neon Gold.
Artfully re-hashing Marina's heartfelt vocal and setting it to a backdrop of dramatic synths, strings and piano, Clock Opera's Guy Connelly has created a masterpiece that somehow feels more like an alternative 'director's cut' edit of the original track than a remix.
Read the story of how the remix came to be and download the track here.
This is, hands down, my favourite of the multitude of Marina mixes.
After branding Lady Gaga a 'mimic' and accusing her of imitating her own style, M.I.A. has served up an epic nine minute video of 'Telephone' proportions for her new single 'Born Free', albeit an entirely different kettle of fish.
There's not a product placement in sight, indeed Maya herself is nowhere to be seen, but the video delivers quite the sucker-punch nonetheless:
The video was directed by Romain Gavras, who Shane infoms me also directed Justice's video for 'Stress'. I've a sneaking suspicion this video may prove equally controversial...
M.I.A.'s third album is expected in July.
P.S.: Keep your eyes peeled for a not-so-subtle reference to the I.R.A.
The Marina and the Diamonds juggernaut continues to gather momentum and, truthfully, I think she's on the cusp of a point of success where we can happily decree that she has 'made it'. I guess the best barometer for this will be how 'I Am Not A Robot' performs when re-released in a few weeks' time.
She's performed the track (albeit slightly shakily) on Jools Holland, recorded a new video (although apparently this is strictly for the purposes of 'tour visuals'), and even had the song covered by the legendary PS22 children's chorus.
This morning she appeared on BCC Radio 1's live lounge and performed a cover of 3OH!3 featuring Katy Perry's 'Starstrukk'. I didn't really have a strong opinion on the song beforehand but, flanked by violins, Marina transforms it into something pretty special:
I'm counting down the days 'til her Dublin gig next month
I have been trying desperately to clamber back on the blog-wagon the past few days but, annoyingly, circumstances have been conspiring against me doing so. As such, I'm pretty late in posting this, the new video from Penguin Prison for 'Something I'm Not':
The video was created using footage recorded during Skype sessions between singer Chris Glover and director Roman Rappak. Simple but effective.
I don't think it's an exaggeration to say Penguin Prison is my favourite artist right now. This remix also comes courtesy of director Rappak:
The band are a pretty perfect addition to the line-up, not just because they're rather brilliant, but because their brand of sprightly indie-pop slots in nicely between the frenetic pace of Foals' debut record 'Antidotes' and the more subdued material from their new record, like 'Spanish Sahara'.
Here's a couple of tracks to whet your appetite, and a cover of their track 'Always Like This' by the ever-charming Run Toto Run.
I was working at the Dublin Fringe last year, which was great but unfortunately meant I didn't get to see as many shows as I'd like. One of the shows I did manage to catch was the rather excellent 'Who Is Fergus Kilpatrick?' by Dublin-based theatre group The Company.
The play deservedly scooped the 'Spirit of the Fringe' award and, for the benefit of those that missed it first time around, has returned for a two-week stint at The Project Arts Centre.
Brilliantly conceived and wonderfully realised, the show attempts to establish who enigmatic historical figure Fergus Kilpatrick really was, challenging conventional notions of history, reality, truth and lies along the way.
Can we believe our grandfather's stories about how our independence was won? Who are the heroes and who are the traitors? If our history is built on lies, where does that leave us now? And what happens when we stop pretending?
I honestly cannot recommend 'Who Is Fergus Kilpatrick?' highly enough. It's one of the most original pieces of theatre you're likely to see this year so, if you miss it, well... raging for you.
I've been putting my poor credit card under a fair amount of strain of late, but I'm placing the blame on the number of great gigs coming up in Dublin over the next few weeks...
Next week, goth-pop princess Amanda Palmer's latest venture Evelyn Evelyn rolls into town. I first saw Amanda play with The Dresden Dolls in The Spiegeltent in Edinburgh a few years ago and it remains one of my all-time favourite gigs. Evelyn Evelyn is a collaboration between Amanda and a number of other artists, including musician Jason Webley. Honestly, I haven't had a chance to listen to the album properly but I fully intend to sink my teeth into it before the gig at The Academy on the 19th.
On the 2nd of May, The Hundred In The Hands play Crawdaddy, shortly before the release of their debut EP. Their track 'Dressed In Dresden' is one of my staple playlist inclusions so I've high hopes for their new material.
A little further off, but probably the most likely to sell out, is Tegan & Sara on 15th of June. The Canadian sisters' album 'The Con' is one of my favourite records and they've a pretty solid reputation as a live act, so expect to find me screeching away to 'Back In Your Head' in The Olympia.
It seems the characters from 8-bit video games of yesteryear are fed up of being sidelined in favour of newer models and have decided to vent their frustrations on New York City:
'Pixels' was created by Patrick Jean. His other stuff is well worth casting your eye over too.
I'm becoming increasingly enamoured with the musical stylings of 23-year-old Londoner Max McElligott, aka Wolf Gang.
With its sing-a-long melodies and jaunty pianos, his debut release 'The King And All Of His Men' was a slab of pop perfection but its follow-up, introspective indie-flavoured number 'Back To Back', is just as good.
He posted this lovely acoustic version of the track a couple of days ago, showcasing some serious raw musical talent:
Here's the track in its original form, as well as the wonderful 'The King And All Of His Men':
Along with Penguin Prison and Fenech Soler, Monarchy are blazing a trail for synthpop boys, laying down the gauntlet after the dominance of their female counterparts last year.
Based on the other stuff we've heard, their album is shaping up to be quite something:
Although she's been knocking around for quite some time, I only recently discovered the music of Janelle Monae. Just in the nick of time too, because P Diddy's painfully cool protege is set to unleash her debut album, 'The Arch Android' next month.
The first single to be taken from the album is 'Tightrope' featuring Outkast's 'Big Boi'. The video has just surfaced and features Monae performing some trademark hip-swivelling:
Just as potent as this particular track is 'Cold War', which has been doing the rounds for the past few months.
Congratulations to Jamie Corcoran, winner of our Bitches With Wolves competition. Jamie wins two tickets to see James & Co in The Academy tomorrow night.
Bitches With Wolves will also be performing in The Academy on Saturday the 10th, and again on the 17th. I was fortunate enough to catch them perform latest single 'Broken Heart' in Spy last night and suspect that that those Academy-bound are in for a treat.
Super-siblings Muchuu have just unleashed their debut album 'Adventure We Go', laden with cutesy lyrics, dreamy synths and magical melodies.
While Russell Lissack's been putting the final touches to Pin Me Down's debut album, his Bloc Party bandmate Kele Okereke has been busying himself with his own side-project.
It seems like ages ago that The Guardian's excellent 'New Band of the Day' feature brought Ms. Sky Ferreira into my world but, finally, it looks like her quest for global domination is afoot.
Things are looking pretty, ahem, rosy for the The Good Natured these days. After recently nabbing a spot on the Kitsuné Maison's latest compilation, London lass Sarah McIntosh has finally served up her first music video for 'Your Body Is A Machine'.
I've recently become a little besotted with the work of Dublin-based duo Collidoscope. A DJ/VJ duo sharing a sardonic sense of humour, Collidoscope only been working together for the past few months but have already been making waves in the city's pub/club scene.
I'm not altogether fussed on the song itself, but I really love the new video for The Temper Trap's 'Love Lost' for reminding me of some of the ordeals I endured on the junior cross-country circuit:
Things are looking decidedly sunny these days for gloom-merchants The xx, with their eponymous debut making an impression on the Billboard charts in recent weeks.
I'm sure this sort of thing has been done oodles of times before but Ben Heine's 'Pencil Vs Camera!' set caught my eye because it's just so well executed.
One of the victims of Volcanosaurus Rex last week was the live music circuit, with many touring bands being forced to cancel dates due to flight cancellations and the likes.
Granted, at times, the performance bordered on shambolic as the performers grappled with the unorthodox set-up but, if anything, this only served to make the whole thing more enjoyable and it was obvious that Amanda and Jason had invested a lot of effort into resuscitating the show.
After months of repeatedly surfacing on Youtube and promptly disappearing, the fabled Clock Opera remix of Marina and the Diamonds' 'I Am Not A Robot' has finally been given a legitimate airing over on Neon Gold.
After branding Lady Gaga a 'mimic' and accusing her of imitating her own style, M.I.A. has served up an epic nine minute video of 'Telephone' proportions for her new single 'Born Free', albeit an entirely different kettle of fish.
The Marina and the Diamonds juggernaut continues to gather momentum and, truthfully, I think she's on the cusp of a point of success where we can happily decree that she has 'made it'. I guess the best barometer for this will be how 'I Am Not A Robot' performs when re-released in a few weeks' time.
Justin Bieber vs. MSTRKRFT - Heartbreaker Baby (CJ Milli Mix)
I have been trying desperately to clamber back on the blog-wagon the past few days but, annoyingly, circumstances have been conspiring against me doing so. As such, I'm pretty late in posting this, the new video from Penguin Prison for 'Something I'm Not':
I really like this 'Streetlove' collection of street art by Brusse. Strikes me as a sort of hybrid of the work of Banksy and Maser.
London four-piece Bombay Bicycle Club have been unveiled as the support act for Foals at the Heineken Green Spheres gig on 14th of May at The Academy, Dublin.
I was working at the Dublin Fringe last year, which was great but unfortunately meant I didn't get to see as many shows as I'd like. One of the shows I did manage to catch was the rather excellent 'Who Is Fergus Kilpatrick?' by Dublin-based theatre group The Company.
First up is Fenech Soler at Crawdaddy next Friday. I first came across Fenech Soler last year as a result of their stonking remix of Marina & the Diamonds' 'Hollywood. After further investigation, I discovered that they had an entire arsenal of killer electropop tunes of their own. I'm still at a loss as to why 'Lies' wasn't a monster hit but, with new single 'Stop and Stare' cherrypicked for the forthcoming installment of the ultra-trendy Kitsuné Maison music compilation, their star is certainly in the ascent. Tickets are a snip at €8.
Next week, goth-pop princess Amanda Palmer's latest venture Evelyn Evelyn rolls into town. I first saw Amanda play with The Dresden Dolls in The Spiegeltent in Edinburgh a few years ago and it remains one of my all-time favourite gigs. Evelyn Evelyn is a collaboration between Amanda and a number of other artists, including musician Jason Webley. Honestly, I haven't had a chance to listen to the album properly but I fully intend to sink my teeth into it before the gig at The Academy on the 19th.
On the 2nd of May, The Hundred In The Hands play Crawdaddy, shortly before the release of their debut EP. Their track 'Dressed In Dresden' is one of my staple playlist inclusions so I've high hopes for their new material.
A little further off, but probably the most likely to sell out, is Tegan & Sara on 15th of June. The Canadian sisters' album 'The Con' is one of my favourite records and they've a pretty solid reputation as a live act, so expect to find me screeching away to 'Back In Your Head' in The Olympia.
Santigold - L.E.S. Artistes (Death to the Throne Remix)
Ellie Goulding's new video for 'Guns and Horses' has surfaced. And guess what? It features guns and, yes, you've guessed it... HORSES.
I'm becoming increasingly enamoured with the musical stylings of 23-year-old Londoner Max McElligott, aka Wolf Gang.
Hotly-tipped duo Monarchy have unveiled the space-age video for their new single 'The Phoenix Alive' and I kinda love it:
I'm not a design demon or font fetishist by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm really enjoying the work on display at Friends of Type.
Although she's been knocking around for quite some time, I only recently discovered the music of Janelle Monae. Just in the nick of time too, because P Diddy's painfully cool protege is set to unleash her debut album, 'The Arch Android' next month.
Congratulations to Jamie Corcoran, winner of our Bitches With Wolves competition. Jamie wins two tickets to see James & Co in The Academy tomorrow night.
Late notice, I realise, but if you've nothing better to be doing tonight, c'mon down to The Shaw for a bout of irreverance.
